London. March 5:th 1768 —
Rev.d
& Dear Sir
I owe you ^a^ letter of a long Standing. but a backwardng to writing and other avocat[illegible]ions.
have hitherto hindred: but could not let this opertunity Slip without Sending you aline...
when I heard the great concerns you have
for the cause of
the redeemer and the Spread of the
^everlaſting^
gospell
hath made me love you: though I never Saw you nor is it
likely I ever
Shall. in the present State. but hope to Meet
you in King Jesus'. upper house: where
we Shal See as we
are Seen & know as we are known — when I heard of
Dr Whitaker
&
Mr
Occoms; coming it gave me pleasure but much more
When I heard
them
& Saw them!:
Dr Whitaker hath been indefati
gable in going
about to collect money
^in city & Country^ and Executed this work with
great deligence prudence zeal and faithfulneſs: and honnour: it
allso added much to the Succeſs of it that
Mr Occom (the Indian)
was with him: as a fruit (under god) of
your labour: and whom the
Lord hath done great things for
.., and for whom many here bleſs god
= but the poor indian hath been So careſs'd
& Such reſpect Shown him even
by the great and Noble. that I
am
^have been^
affraid the good man Some times
^[left]hath almoſt^ forgot what he was —.— it is a great mercy to be kept
Sitting at the
feet of Jesus;—
^I hope he will be kept
So^
D
r Sir I Esteem the cause in which you are engaged to
be great and glorious & So do many here:
[illegible]; but it is not without
its
Enemies for Satan hath been Stirring up all his force that he,
hath been Sufferd to do against it: to Speak evill of it & of those
that where engaged in it. even those from whom we Should
have
expected better things: but when they digg a pitt for others
they may happen to fall in it their Selves —.
I am glad to find by
^yours &^
Mr Kirtlands letters as likewise by
your Sons Journal to
mr Kirtland. that the work goes on with Such
Succeſs. I pray the Lord may prosper it more and more.—
I hope ways and means will be found for you So to proceed
as to have
Occasion for all the
^mony^ that is collected in
England,
while
we continue to live: for Methink I Should be Sorry to leave any
of it to
another generation— for I See Such a fickleneſs
in the minds of
^Some of^ those who. like to have
the management of it
that I Should be glad it could be (with honnour) drawn
for out
of their hands and I wish that whenever
^you^
to write to the trustees
it may be
^in^ the most
Solemn & Close manner (as also to give us
all the encouragement you can of the Succes of the cause:) that none
may dare to oppose or hinder you in your plans or
designs
^yt^ you
may think best for the carrying out the work:;
^but^ that every one of us
may be Obliged to Say:
that
to Straiten or to Stop your hands
would be to fight against god —
Dear Sir I hope these lines will find
you in health
andboth
in Soul & body as also your whole family
for whom I have. (in a Chest of books which
are coming to
you:) Sent
[illegible]a piece of Stript
Camblett of our manufacture
60 yards w
ch may be of use to
M.rs Wheelock
& your daughters &c
^[left]&
family. —^ I need not Say I Shall be glad of a line
from you whenever it
Sutes— these books w.
ch are in the Chest: are: 100 of Baptist
Saints rest: a present from
Revd
M.r
Benj Fawcett of
Kidderminster in
Worstershire: & many Sermons &
pampletts. from
M.rs Brine: Widdo of the late
Revd
Mr John Brine. of
[illegible]london.
all for the use of the Schools. &c : at your discretion & Some are of
Dr Whitakers & Some
Mr
Occoms..— they will know their own,
and: now dear Sir I think I
must take my leave of you for the present
least I weary you with my Scrible: wishing & praying that great
Grace may be up
pon you all — I remain
yours in the Purest
PS. Perhaps you may think that
what we have allow.
d
Dr Whitaker is but Smal:— in which
I Joyn I cannot
but Joyn with you — I would
^fain^ have
had it
Doubled but they would not
admitt of it: a Very Smal consideration
for two years & half absence from his family
and Such a constant
[illegible][guess: Scean] of labour
and phatigue as he hath gone through.:
I am dr S.r once more yr
freind
& serv.t for Christ Sake
S. S —